Twinblade
The KA-65 Twinblade is a Soviet gunship in Red Alert 3. Background Designed for a joint role as a heavy gunship and a heavy transport by the famous Krasna Aerospace, this versatile war machine is sturdy and well armed with two PKX 12.7mm heavy machine guns, and four 60mm Oduvanchik rocket pods. However, its primary function was far more sinister than simple transportation - it was designed to enforce the Union's internationally reviled "zero tolerance" policy towards battlefield deserters, hovering above the battlefield and eliminating troops attempting to flee the front lines (interestingly, according to the Soviet Military Affairs Bureau, the desertions eventually fell to a record 0%, rounding down). In one incident, an entire Twinblade squadron carrying a Soviet Hammer Tank platoon was ambushed and decimated by a wing of Allied Apollo Fighters, causing the Soviet Union to fervently re-declare war against France, Germany, and Great Britain in a harshly-worded announcement. Cherdenko had just finished his briefing with the Commander and Gregor Zelinsky before the commander was sent to Greece. Suddenly, behind the Soviet Premier, a KA-65 Twinblade's shadow appeared outside one of the balcony windows of the Kremlin. The Soviet leader was surprised and fell onto the floor, from his chair and the Twinblade's machine guns started firing through the window. Cherdenko only suffered a minor head wound, which was bandaged after the Commander returned from Greece. Dasha, the Soviet intelligence officer, asked Premier Cherdenko that if he felt all right, after last night's attempted assassination. Cherdenko presumably had the culprit of the Twinblade arrested and interrogated before unveiling Krukov as the mastermind of the plot, but Krukov turned out to be framed. Game unit The gunship itself is a sturdy, armoured mainline combat helicopter with three rotors (giving it unparalleled stability and lift), swivel-mounted dual PKX machine guns and four 60mm rocket pods mounted on wing pylons. Its design is considered very Russian by field commanders, in the meaning that its direct and uncompromising (although the amount of ammunition it carries on board and delicate engineering needed to make it fly make it susceptible to anti-aircraft fire). Soviet commisars are co-pilots on each Twinblade in Soviet service. Twinblade is designed for easy refill, either from its fellow airplane or winched up from the ground. They have foldable compartment to haul up to 5 infantry or Terror drones. The most strategic use is as heavy haulier for Soviet forces. It can haul infantry, tanks, and support vehicles while maintain its speed, providing Soviet with "jumping" element that enable them to deploy leapfrog styled tactic or surprised assault on enemy base from any directions. This capability is somewhat related with its intermesing rotor and dual engine. However, its capability is limited to medium weight vehicle (such as Hammer Tank) and cannot haul extreme weight vehicles such as Assault Destroyer, or MCV. The helicopter does have weaknesses. While brimming with firepower, all of it is directed to the ground, making it a favorite target of Allied Apollo Fighters. Also, vehicles and structures able to fire back from the ground are threats the Twinblade, due to its weak armor and its machine guns' ineffectiveness against armor. Sufficient numbers of Twinblades can compensate for this weakness. Additionally, when carrying important units, the loss of the Twinblade results in the unit's destruction, as well. Assessment Pros * Excellent against all ground units, especially infantry * Can carry any vehicle except King Onis or Assault Destroyers * Can carry up to 5 infantry units * Not limited to the number of empty slots on an Airfield * Powerful in numbers * Fast * Never needs to reload * Can reverse move * Perhaps the most versatile aircraft unit if used to hit and run * Excellent unit for diversions against Ore collectors * Perfect commando killer * Almost Unstoppable if partnered with bullfrogs in large numbers Cons * Apollo Fighters, rogue MiGs and Mecha Tengus pose a threat * If shot down, its payload is lost too * Slightly costly * Rockets have a slow rate of fire * Light armour * Cannot attack other air units. Trivia *In one of the "Shot down quotes", the Commisar riding the Twinblade may plead "But I'm a Romanov...!" before unceremoniously crashing. This may indicate that they were trying to convince the enemy that they were not allied with the Soviets, either by saying they were supporters of Premier Alexander Romanov, or by claiming they were descended from the Romanov Tsar family, which was massacred by the Soviets on their rise to power. *The Twinblade resembles the Chinese KA-27 Helix for its basic purpose: a transport gunship. Their design resembles both Hammerhead from Tiberium universe (due to their intermeshing rotor), and the Mi-24 'Hind' heavy gunship, especially its transport ability and 'double bubble' cockpit design. *The pilot does not respond to commands, it is the Gunner that responds, according to one of its responses when it is ordered to move. The same applies to the Cryocopter, where the operator responds. *In the exclusive walkthrough of the last Soviet mission in an episode of Command School shown only in the Red Alert 3 Premier Edition DVD, it is revealed that, during the early beta phases, the Twinblade had had only one rotor and was named a Hind. Also, during the beta phase, each Twinblade used up an Airfield slot, much like the MiG Fighter. * The Twinblade is based on the Soviet Kamov series coaxial helicopters, prefixed KA as well. Category:Red Alert 3 Aircraft Category:Red Alert 3 Soviet Arsenal Category:Gunships